I received this email in my AOL inbox on August 21, 2007 from the Make-A-Wish Foundation.   I thought that I would pass it on as it is so important to better understand the power of a special wish granted. ~  Ken Rogers

We wanted to share this email with you that we received from the father of a wish child.  It really showed the impact a wish can have on an entire family.

To Whom It May Concern:

I want to write and express my utmost respect and gratitude to you for the wonderful trip you planned for our family to Florida this past summer. We visited the last week in July and it was a cherished experience we will never forget.

Our daughter, Katie, was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor last November and her wish was to visit Walt Disney World one last time with her family. You can probably imagine how low our mood was when we were struggling to put a trip together. It was an answer to prayer when the wonderful people at Make-A-Wish made all the arrangements for us to travel to Florida and to stay for a week.

No sooner had the doctors told us that her health was failing than I submitted an email request and got an answer within 6 hours of my email! I was amazed, impressed, and most of all relieved since time was of the essence. Wish granters worked tirelessly to make everything come together. They were a true blessing, making us all feel comfortable and reaching out to Katie to put her at ease.

Katie had the best time on her trip. She romped carefree at the Give Kids The World Village, rode the rides at Magic Kingdom, MGM, Universal, and Sea World, was able to feed the dolphins, met her hero the Terminator, and got autographs from every one of her favorite cartoon characters. I can't imagine a better time.

As her father, it warmed my heart to see her smile in spite of all the suffering. We were so grateful to have a brief time to forget the nightmare we were living. The week of fun was a sanctuary from needles, pills, and radiation masks. For one week we were a normal family, living life to its fullest. For one week we felt free to laugh and embrace and build those last few precious memories. You can't put a price on that.

Katie ended her fight with cancer only a few weeks after her trip. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. We miss her terribly, of course. But we will forever be grateful that her last days were spent being happy and doing what every child should be doing: playing with her family with no care for tomorrow.

Please know from one grateful father that your work is of the highest importance and that you minister to families in ways that no one else can. If there is anything you need from us, please feel free to ask. Also, I am enclosing a CD-ROM disk with pictures from the vacation. I hope you will enjoy seeing how wonderful the vacation was. I invite you to use whatever pictures you like for your promotional material or whatever inspiration they can bring.

God bless every one of you for your tireless work. I believe an army of children smile down from heaven in gratitude for your kindness. And Katie is right there with them.

In deepest thanks,

Albin, Kathy and Katie's sisters, Allie and Emily